When the ancestors of the Grimstombe family emigrated to England following the Norman Conquest in 1066 they brought their family name with them. They lived in Grymstone,Yorkshire. Grimston, however, is a fairly common place-name in England, so a given individual case may come from any of several places so named. The distinguished name Grimstombe is derived from the general case of the Old Norman personal nameGrimr, and the Old English tun, which means settlement or town.

Grimstombe Early Origins

The surname Grimstombe was first found in the East Riding of Yorkshire where "Sylvester de Grimston, 'Standard-bearer and Chamberlain to William I.,' of Grimston, in the parish of Garton, is claimed as the ancestor of this venerable Norman family, who have ever since the period of the Conquest resided at the place from whence the name is derived." [1]CITATION[CLOSE]Shirley, Evelyn Philip, The Noble and Gentle Men of England; The Arms and Descents. Westminster: John Bower Nichols and Sons, 1866, Print. "The family of Grimston have been seated [at Garton] since the time of William I., when their ancestor Sylvester de Grimston had a grant of land from the king to be held of the honour of Roos. The church is a good structure, with a low tower; adjoining it on the north, is a mausoleum belonging to the Grimston family." [2]CITATION[CLOSE]Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print. "Several places bear this designation [Grimston], four of them in Yorkshire, the ancient and present abode of the family." [3]CITATION[CLOSE]Lowe, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.

Grimstombe Spelling Variations

Grimstombe Spelling Variations

The English language only became standardized in the last few centuries. For that reason, spelling variations are common among many Anglo-Norman names. The shape of the English language was frequently changed with the introduction of elements of Norman French, Latin, and other European languages; even the spelling of literate people's names were subsequently modified. Grimstombe has been recorded under many different variations, including Grimston, Grimstone and others.

Grimstombe Early History

Grimstombe Early History

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Grimstombe research. Another 255 words (18 lines of text) covering the years 1611, 1952, 1508, 1600, 1569, 1648, 1626, 1629, 1603, 1685, 1640, 1648, 1660, 1685, 1656, 1643 and 1700 are included under the topic Early Grimstombe History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Grimstombe Early Notables (pre 1700)

Grimstombe Early Notables (pre 1700)

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was Edward Grimston ( ca. 1508-1600), of Rishangles, Suffolk, an English politician and Comptroller of Calais; Sir Harbottle Grimston, 1st Baronet ( c. 1569-1648) an English politician, Member of Parliament for Essex...

Another 36 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Grimstombe Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

The Great Migration

The Great Migration

To escape the uncertainty of the political and religious uncertainty found in England, many English families boarded ships at great expense to sail for the colonies held by Britain. The passages were expensive, though, and the boats were unsafe, overcrowded, and ridden with disease. Those who were hardy and lucky enough to make the passage intact were rewarded with land, opportunity, and social environment less prone to religious and political persecution. Many of these families went on to be important contributors to the young nations of Canada and the United States where they settled. Grimstombes were some of the first of the immigrants to arrive in North America: Anthony Grimston who settled in Virginia in 1635; Samuel Grimstone settled in Maryland in 1737; Thomas Grimstone settled in Virginia in 1654; John Grimstone arrived in Philadelphia in 1853..

Motto

Motto

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Other References

Skordas, Guest. Ed. The Early Settlers of Maryland an Index to Names or Immigrants Complied from Records of Land Patents 1633-1680 in the Hall of Records Annapolis, Maryland. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1968. Print.

Bede, The Venerable. Historia Ecclesiatica Gentis Anglorum (The Ecclesiastical History Of the English People). Available through Internet Medieval Sourcebook the Fordham University Centre for Medieval Studies. Print.

Colletta, John P. They Came In Ships. Salt Lake City: Ancestry, 1993. Print.

The Grimstombe Family Crest was acquired from the Houseofnames.com archives. The Grimstombe Family Crest was drawn according to heraldic standards based on published blazons. We generally include the oldest published family crest once associated with each surname.